Asia, India—Kashmir and Ladakh, Zanskar Range

Zanskar Range. Our expedition climbed in the mountains due south of Leh. We ascended through a romantic gorge past Sumdo and Chogdo to the Chikorma La (17,000 feet), from which we could see our mountain group across the Mimoling Plain to the southwest; the highest peak in the group is 21,000 feet. We could not determine what the group is called; possibly they are the Zhey, the Lalung or the Mimoling group. We set up Base Camp at 16,700 feet at the headwaters of the Mimoling Chu and climbed nearly all the surrounding mountains. Edith and Gerhard Benker, Walter Lang, Max Flossmann, Bernhard Flemisch, Helmut Schaller and I ascended P 5640 (18,504 feet), P 5780 (18,964 feet), P 5860 (19,226 feet), P 6080 (19,948 feet), P 5840 (19,160 feet), P 6120 (20,079 feet), P 6040 (19,817 feet), and P 5940 (19,488 feet). We determined altitudes by aneroid barometer. On some of the peaks, which somewhat resembled the Western Alps, there were cairns.